A Georgia woman, Cassandra Barksdale, was wrongly diagnosed with cancer and underwent an unneeded hysterectomy due to a labeling error at Kaiser Permanente Southwood Medical Center in Jonesboro, Georgia.

Medical Error Leads to Unnecessary Surgery

Barksdale, 43, had visited the medical center in early 2025 to seek treatment for heavy bleeding and fibroids, which are noncancerous growths in and around the uterus. She underwent a biopsy on March 10, 2025, and was told she had an aggressive type of cancer after receiving the results on March 17, 2025.

However, in September 2025, Barksdale was informed that a DNA analysis found the tissue sample showing an aggressive form of endometrial uterine cancer belonged to a different patient and not to her, according to the lawsuit filed by Barksdale and her attorneys against Kaiser Permanente.

Representatives for Kaiser Permanente stated that they have highly trained staff and thorough processes in place to prevent errors like this from taking place and are committed to working with Barksdale and her counsel to resolve this in a fair and accountable way.

The lawsuit asks for unspecified damages, with Barksdale’s attorney, Shannan Young, stating that there’s no amount of money that can return Barksdale’s healthy organs or erase the experiences and pain she’s had.

Original reporting: WPBF West Palm Beach — read the source article.